Hoke, Meyer appreciate prior OSU-UM coaches

Published: November 21, 2012 3:00 AM

BUCKEYES BUZZ: Urban Meyer likes walking where the giants of the coaching profession once walked.

Meyer is at the helm for the first time in a Michigan-Ohio State game. He says he understands what his role is and how much the game means to so many.

"Without getting overdramatic, you know, it's only Tuesday and we play this game on Saturday," he said on the Big Ten coaches call. "My job's to make sure the team plays it on Saturday, not today."

Born in Toledo and raised in Ashtabula, he is well aware of the spotlight cast on him and what he does.

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"It means everything from a person who grew up here that understands the rivalry and respects the rivalry," he said. "I guess the thing I understand is the incredible obligation, the responsibility, of getting this team ready to go."

The heyday of the rivalry, being played for the 109th time on Saturday at noon (on ABC), was of course from 1969 to 1978 -- called "The Ten-Year War" when Bo Schembechler coached the Wolverines and Woody Hayes was in charge at Ohio State.

Two larger-than-life figures directed their charges who annually seemed to be playing for a Rose Bowl (at the least) or even a national championship.

"The one thing about this rivalry, you're taught at a very young age who the enemy is. However, there's a deep-rooted respect for the enemy," Meyer said. "That's the way I was raised. I remember from a very young age there was a lot of respect for coach Schembechler."

Later in life, when he became a head coach for the first time in 2001 at Bowling Green, Schembechler, by then long since retired, called to congratulate Meyer. Meyer had crossed paths with Hayes when Meyer was a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce in 1986-87 at Ohio State.

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"I was able to sit down and speak with him a few times," Meyer said.

Of course, Bo and Woody, Woody and Bo, remain two of the pivotal characters in this annual drama. Both have died, but each year about this time reporters and fans dust off the old stories about their glorious friendship that became contentious for a decade and then ended with both best of friends once more.

Michigan's Brady Hoke also grew up watching the two coaching legends and it had a profound effect on him as well.

"Growing up in the state of Ohio and kind of being a Michigan fan, I really wish I could tell you," he said, when asked when he first realized how big 'The Game' was. "I don't know if there's any one moment. You know, the two iconic coaches with the 'Ten-Year War' with coach Hayes and coach Schembechler was a big part of it."

Meyer saw those two stormy personalities and knew he wanted to be like them someday. Now, at least in title, he is.

"I knew at a young age I wanted to be a coach," he said. "Those are the two (names) that were the first two out of mouth whenever I said what great coaches were."

TEDFORD FIRED: California coach Jeff Tedford was fired on Tuesday. His team ended up 3-9, losing its final five games.

One of his team's best games of the season came on Sept. 15 at Ohio Stadium, where the Golden Bears were tied at 28 with the Buckeyes before a defensive mix-up in the secondary left Devin Smith wide open for a 72-yard touchdown pass with 3:26 left in a 35-28 defeat.

EXTRA MONEY: According to research by USA Today, Ohio State officials reworked portions of Meyer's contract so he would not be penalized for NCAA violations that took place long before he ever became the Buckeyes head coach.

Meyer's contract from last November includes a $50,000 bonus if his team wins the Big Ten's Leaders Division, an automatic one-year extension of his contract and a $100,000 bonus if the Buckeyes won the conference championship game and an additional $150,000 for playing in a Bowl Championship Series non-title game or $250,000 for playing in the BCS title game.

Meyer was hired a month before the NCAA's sanctions banned Ohio State from postseason play this year, including the Big Ten title game next week and a bowl game, BCS or any other kind.

Ohio State officials, however, worked with Meyer's representatives to craft a fair deal, reflective of what the Buckeyes have accomplished so far this season. They've already clinched the Leaders Division and, therefore, would play in the conference championship game if permitted. They were also a lock to play in a BCS game, if there were no bowl ban.

Meyer's contract was amended to permit him to collect somewhere between $150,000 and $250,000 in extra pay and bonuses on top of the $4.1 million salary he was already assured under terms of his contract. The final bonus will be determined by ranking in the AP poll instead of the BCS rankings, which Ohio State is ineligible for because of the NCAA sanctions.

ANOTHER NEW KID: Rutgers officially left the Big East on Tuesday to join Maryland in a new, 14-team Big Ten.

"The Big Ten is really where Rutgers belongs," Rutgers President Robert Barchi said.

Rutgers has been competing in the Big East since 1991. But the league has been picked apart by conference realignment, and the Scarlet Knights were looking for a way out.

Maryland is joining the Big Ten in 2014. No one knows for certain when the Scarlet Knights will start playing in the conference, however.

Both schools, the farthest East in the Big Ten, will likely join the Leaders Division in football so they can play against Penn State, with whom they have a certain regional affinity. If that is the case, the most likely change for the Big Ten would be to move Illinois to the Legends Division.

Meyer was asked if he was concerned about how the football divisions might be realigned.

"It really doesn't matter," he said. "I'll be interested at the appropriate time. Certainly my imput wasn't asked so I'm not that worried about it. I will just be interested like everyone else."